Endeavor’s growth program – Dare2Scale (D2S) – is now accepting applications for its seventh edition, once again expanding its regional footprint. Following the successful inclusion of companies from North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania in 2024, entrepreneurs from these markets will once again have access to unique growth opportunities this year.
Starting today, April 7, 2025, companies from Bulgaria and the three Western Balkans countries — regardless of the industry in which they operate — that have a market-validated product or service generating revenue and strong ambitions for growth, are invited to apply via this link. After submitting the application form, selected candidates will be interviewed by the Dare2Scale team, mentors, and business leaders from the Endeavor network, who will select the final cohort. The deadline for applications is April 30, 2025.
The program continues to solidify its role as a key driver of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region. Since its launch in 2019, Dare2Scale has consistently evolved and delivered impressive results. You can learn more about the impact of the previous edition in the annual report.
Following the success of last year’s regional Demo Day, this year’s Kick Off will adopt a broader international format. This step aims to foster closer collaboration among scaling businesses across the Western Balkans and proved to be a major success in 2024 — generating strong interest among participating companies and helping forge deeper connections between founders and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Dare2Scale will also maintain its commitment to supporting social impact organizations, with an NGO quota once again open this year.
The program will run for four months, from September to December 2025, concluding with the final Demo Day event, where companies will pitch their businesses in front of a jury of prominent business leaders, media, fellow founders, and investors.
Created by the Bulgarian office of the global entrepreneurial network Endeavor, Dare2Scale targets late-stage startups that already have a validated business model and strong scaling potential, but are facing the challenges of scaling. The program provides access to mentors, investors, and experts from the Endeavor network, as well as valuable connections across the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Participants will take part in group workshops, 1:1 mentoring sessions with PwC experts from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo, as well as mentoring sessions with experts from Endeavor’s network, and curated networking events with established business leaders and regional companies.
Dare2Scale is made possible with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the America for Bulgaria Foundation (US4BG), the Fund Manager of Financial Instruments in Bulgaria (FMFIB), and the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA). Mentorship will be provided by PwC, and media partners for the program include Forbes Bulgaria, Bloomberg TV Bulgaria, and Digitalk.
“The expansion of the Dare2Scale program in 2024 was a major step in connecting entrepreneurs across the region and creating even more growth opportunities. We’re already seeing tangible results — new partnerships, accelerated growth, and strengthened collaboration between companies. This motivates us to continue building and delivering even more valuable support to ambitious founders who, through their own success, strengthen the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Momchil Vassilev, Managing Director of Endeavor Bulgaria.
In this seventh edition of the program, we continue to invest in the potential of regional growth-stage companies. Through mentorship, access to key resources, and the creation of a strong entrepreneurial community, we’re helping founders not just grow but build businesses with long-term impact. We look forward to welcoming this year’s new cohort and are confident that Dare2Scale will once again be a powerful catalyst for innovative companies across the region.”
